Parish of St Mary, Newington , Church of England

Saint Mary's is the ancient parish church of Newington. The present church was constructed in 1958, replacing a building of 1876 which was badly damaged during the Second World War. Only the tower survives and was incorporated into the new church. The 1876 church was constructed to replace an earlier building, of 1721. From 1826 onwards other parishes were established out of the parish of Saint Mary, including Holy Trinity (P92/TRI), Saint John, Walworth (P92/JN), and Saint Matthew, Newington (P92/MTW). A chapel of ease, Saint Gabriel's, was established in 1874.

Newington Governors and Guardians of the Poor were established by Local Act of Parliament of 1814 which enabled them to assess and collect the poor rate and to build the workhouse and collect other rates in the parish (54 Geo III c.cxiii). They continued to collect the poor rate and to administer poor relief after the Poor Law Amendment Act of 1834. A Board of Guardians was established in 1836 (see P92/MRY/315) to carry out the registration functions of the Poor Law district, and to act as a workhouse committee. However it would seem that this eventually ceased to function and its activities were taken over by the Governors and Guardians at their weekly meetings. After the Metropolitan Poor Act of 1867, a Board of Guardians was again established and this took over the administration of the workhouse and poor relief in the parish. In 1869 it became part of St Saviour's Union (see records of Southwark Board of Guardians, SOBG). The Governors and Guardians continued to collect rates until their abolition in 1901 on the formation of the Metropolitan Borough of Southwark.